We are very happy to announce that Clavis has acquired Dutch rights to the Finlandia Junior Prize-winning Maresi, Part I in the Red Abbey Chronicles by Maria Turtschaninoff. Among other authors published by Clavis are Tove Jansson, Salla Simukka, Anthony Horowitz, Ransom Riggs and Allen Zadoff. Rights to Maresi are now sold in 10 territories!

Clavis will publish Maresi in Belgium and the Netherlands in Spring 2016.

Last week Maria Turtschaninoff was meeting readers at Archipelacon, The Nordic Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, in Åland, Finland. Among other authors attending this year were George R.R. Martin and Johanna Sinisalo. See here for more information!

The simultaneously lyrical and page-turning Maresi, set in a historically inspired fantasy world, has nominated for the 2015 Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize. Naondel, Part II in the Red Abbey Chronicles and a prequel to Maresi, will publish in Finland in 2016. The World English edition will launch to a large marketing campaign by Pushkin Press in the UK in early 2016.

The three-part Red Abbey Chronicles tell the story of a community of women who provide a refuge for girls who have suffered hardships in their own communities. In Part I, main character Maresi prefers to spend her time in the world of books – until she has to step up to protect a new Red Abbey arrival escaping an unthinkable trauma.

Praise from international publishers:

“I was blown away by Maresi, quite simply. Maria Turtschaninoff has written an incredibly original, vivid and gripping story with appeal not only for YA readers but far beyond. And embedded in the story is a passionate feminist voice that I strongly believe will resonate with a wide variety of readers, young adult ­ and adult alike. I’ve no doubt that Maresi and The Red Abbey Chronicles as a whole will become classics of the genre.”
– Adam Freudenheim, Publisher and Managing Director, Pushkin Press/Pushkin Children’s Books

“Maresi is a powerful, intelligent and utterly thrilling adventure story with a strong and timely feminist message. Set in a beautifully drawn fantasy world, this story is as compelling as it is challenging, and I devoured it in one sitting. I’m sure many, many more readers will be doing the same over the coming years.”
– Daniel Seton, Commissioning Editor, Pushkin Press/Pushkin Children’s Books

”Maresi takes the reader into a world full of wonder. And, most importantly, it tells us about the magical power of friendship. A truly enchanting story.“– Stefanie Brösigke, Junior Editor, Heyne Verlag, Germany

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.